SF STATE NEWS -- Juthaporn Chaloeicheep’s path to a degree has never been smooth. She first attended San Francisco State University in the 1990s but left without graduating after having a child. Years of addiction, homelessness and incarceration followed. She was able to get back on track in the last few years, however, and a San Francisco State degree was finally within reach.
Then the pandemic hit. Chaloeicheep’s work hours with a hospitality staffing agency rapidly dwindled, making it difficult for her to pay rent, buy food and take care of her youngest son, she said. “I was going to be at risk of not being able to graduate,” Chaloeicheep added.
Fortunately, Chaloeicheep was able to get help from SF State’s Help, Opportunity and Pathway to Empowerment (HOPE) Crisis Fund. The program provides financial assistance to students dealing with unexpected crises so they can continue their studies and graduate. “It takes a village to have helped me, and that’s what SF State was able to provide,” said Chaloeicheep. With support from the fund, she was able to stay on track through her last semester and earn her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies.